the power of magic
by charmed4eva112
Summary: AU Future Fic. "After the wizard competition, nothing stays the same.". Russo sibling centric.


**Summary: **Future Fic. "After the wizard competition, nothing stays the same.". Russo sibling centric.

**Notes: **I wanted to write a different type of oneshot; one where it takes place some time after the wizard competition, where we find out who won the powers and how that changes everyone's lives, either for the better or for the worst. I want to mature each Russo sibling and show a different side yet still staying true to themselves and not making them entirely OOC. I hope you enjoy.

Oh, by the way, no Mason or Juliet in this one. I can't get behind them all dating supernatural creatures (well, at least Alex and Justin).

.-.

_Justin Russo_

Justin wins the wizard competition, to nobody's surprise.

Working hard and focusing on only magic really helps him to reach his dream of becoming the family wizard and it pays off. The elation he feels when his fingers brush at the ball of magic in front of him, the power that rises through him as he feels the magic grow and pulse within his veins, the feeling of wonder and delight as he floats above his siblings, Justin couldn't ask for a better feeling. He feels a little bit of guilt when he sees the disappointment on Alex's face and the defeat on Max's but it all goes away once Max gives him a hug and Alex congratulates him with no sarcasm.

The first thing he does with his newfound powers is zap his whole family to Paris to celebrate. He knows all is forgiven and his siblings are happy for him once they zap up to the top of the Eiffel Tower at midnight to enjoy the fantastic view as fireworks explode around them.

Winning the competition is something that Justin can't describe. The feelings, the thoughts, the power, none can be explained to his little brother or to his mother. It's an entirely new feeling to what Alex and his father experienced when they won the competition as well. It's something that makes Justin proud to have worked so hard to achieve this and he never wants to give up this feeling. He doesn't even understand anymore why his father would ever give up his powers for love.

Love, love is strong. But the magic he has within him is stronger.

.-.

The first two months with his powers is terrific. He graduates from college two weeks later and travels the world, meeting exotic women and soaking in the culture of every country he goes to. He returns home a month and a half later, filled with gifts and presents for his family, Harper, Zeke and many of his friends. Then, he travels to the wizarding world to celebrate with his wizard friends. He parties for three days straight before returning back home to spend some time with his family. It's all great and dandy and he's all smiles as he ruffles Alex's hair playfully as he teases her about her change in degree for next year.

"You want to get a Business degree? This is coming from you, Alex, who falls asleep every time Dad tries to explain how hard it is to run the sandwich shop and the one that would rather be spending money than saving it," he tells her playfully as she sticks out her tongue.

"Well, if I want to open up my own art studio for the public, I need a business degree. See Justin, just like you, I'm working toward my own goals and dreams and I will be successful," Alex tells him sharply, flicking her hair over her shoulder before disappearing with Harper to go to the movies. Justin just laughs quietly to himself, secretly hoping that she does stick to this goal and work hard to achieve it, before looking for Max to tease.

.-.

September rolls around and Justin heads to medical school to start training to become a neurosurgeon. It had taken Justin quite a bit of time to decide what kind of doctor he wanted to be and somehow, neurosurgery found him. He walks in on his first day, feeling mighty powerful and confident as he stands with the rest of the prospective medical students, eager and determined to learn.

Three weeks later, he finds himself dropping out of school and moving back home with his parents.

.-.

"Oh Justin, why didn't you stick to becoming a doctor?" his mother questions him a couple of weeks later when she finds her son lounging around on the couch in his pyjamas at three in the afternoon, snacking on chips while watching television. He shrugs as he glances at his mother before peeling his eyes back to the TV, stuffing another chip in his mouth.

"I just don't think that becoming a doctor is the right thing after all. It's not me; I just chose it because I wanted to prove I could and that I was smart. But I'm only twenty three; I still have time to figure my goals out. Don't worry; by this time next year, I'll be back in college and working hard," Justin promises before laughing at something on TV. He has all the time in the world. And with wizard powers, it just makes him feel all the more confident that he will succeed and be awesome.

.-.

He stays in Spain for four months while trying to figure out his future, getting a job as a tour guide as he steadily practices his Spanish that he hasn't used in four years. Hey, it's not the most ideal job, but it's earning him money and he's getting experience that he'd never get back in New York. He goes to work with a smile on his face and afterwards, goes to the bar with his friends to drown in his sorrows of working at such a low raised job. A year ago, he'd never think of working such a job. But a year ago, he didn't have full wizard powers.

Justin sits with Enrique and Leon one night, laughing as he downs his fourth shot of whiskey. Oh yeah, he's going to have a major hangover in the morning, he thinks. But it's all worth it as he watches a hot girl make her way through the bar toward them. Justin winks suggestively as she just smiles seductively back. He's never thought of sleeping with any woman until he's married but with this girl practically purring in his ear as she tugs him toward the back, well, he can't help it. He takes off his top as her lips hungrily attack his. He feels the passion soar through him and he grips at her back as he slams her against the wall. Both passion and magic soar within him as he lets his instincts take over, hearing her yell things at him and him complying willingly.

This happens for two more nights with the same girl before he moves on to another one.

He doesn't remember how many women in Spain that he sleeps with; all he knows is that he sleeps with one woman a night and this goes on for a while. He knows this isn't him, but he's changed in the past year. Old Justin would have never thought of doing such a thing; but this is New Justin, the one with full wizard powers and can do whatever he wants (within reason, of course). He loves feeling so in control, especially since being so out of it because of Alex and how she's the favourite child and not him. Being perfect got him nowhere and hey, even though he didn't go through a rebellion stage as a teenager, he's going through it now.

It's March when he finally decides to move on from Spain and go back home to at least visit his family. After one more night of passion with two different girls, Justin packs up and leaves right away, arriving in New York the next afternoon. His parents are shocked to see him, but proud to have him home.

"You haven't called in three months, Justin! We were getting worried!" his mother gushes as she envelopes her son warmly. His father claps a hand on his back after she's done with him.

"I'm glad to have you home, son. How are you?" he asks. Justin shrugs as he places his things at the steps before going to grab a beer from the fridge.

"Things are good. Spain was great, but I missed New York. I hope you don't mind me crashing for a couple of months while I find an apartment and a job," Justin says lightly. His father frowns, but shakes his head.

"No, of course I don't mind. It's just been a while since you've been here so we kind of rearranged your room," his father admits. Justin rolls his eyes as he gets out his wand and mutters a spell, watching his bags disappear in front of him.

"Well, I just fixed that problem, so don't worry," Justin says before disappearing upstairs to get some sleep. He passes by Max's room, who seems to be absent for the moment. He shrugs as he immediately sits on his bed and takes a gulp of his beer.

.-.

Alex comes back home in May, grinning as she brings home a new mortal boyfriend. Justin scoffs as he looks over the hipster twenty one year old, rolling his eyes in disgust. He's definitely not Alex's type. Well, besides the fact that this guy looks like he belongs in an indie band, he just looks too nice and too naive for his little sister.

"Justin, this is Cameron, my boyfriend of three months. Cameron, this is my older and dorky brother Justin," Alex introduces. Cameron smiles as he sticks out his hand for Justin to shake. He stares at it for a few moments before gruffly shaking it back.

"It's nice to meet you Justin. Alex has told me some interesting things about you. All good, of course," Cameron says and it takes Justin all of his strength to not gape at this boy's nice exterior. Maybe he doesn't know Alex as well as he thinks. So he just sits back, staring at this stranger as Alex explains about how they met on her first day of class at her college, all the while trying to figure this situation out. He's definitely not the type of guy Alex is usually interested in. She's usually dated the bad boys, the jocks or the supernatural werewolves and this guy definitely doesn't fit in any of those categories. But whatever, Alex seems happy and if she is, then Justin can't complain.

It still doesn't stop him from taking Cameron aside and threatening him if he hurts Alex in any way.

.-.

Justin doesn't enroll in school the following year. Instead, he packs up his things and decides to move to Australia, wishing his family farewell before zapping himself away. He plans to stay there for at least six months before deciding if Australia is the right fit for him.

He stays for ten weeks before moving on to Italy.

.-.

Italy becomes his temporarily permanent home for the next two years. His knowledge in speaking Italian helps him as he works at a winery. He loves Italy a lot but often pops back home to visit his parents, who now have all three children not only moved out of the house, but moved out of New York as well. Italy feels like his second home and he fits in quite nicely. He meets a girl named Diana a couple of months after moving there. She lives in Florence and works alongside him. She doesn't speak a word of English so Justin's incredibly grateful that he speaks fluent Italian. Something just clicks with them and they soon become inseparable.

.-.

"Justin, tell me what America's like," Diana tells him softly in Italian one night in July as they sit in the park, underneath the stars. Justin smiles as he wraps his arms around her, keeping her close as he answers.

"It's not as beautiful as Italy, but it's very nice. I lived in the city and it's one of the busiest in the world. Lots of traffic, people bustling around, nobody stopping and enjoying the beauty of New York for what it is. People moved too fast and didn't appreciate where they lived, unlike here. Things were too busy, which is why I like Italy a lot. You can just take in the area and enjoy it for a few minutes without worry. America's great, but Italy is breathtakingly amazing," he admits to her. Diana smiles as she turns, peers up at him and places a gentle kiss to his lips.

"You are beautiful," she tells him as he laughs softly. He places a kiss to her head before gazing back up at the stars, enjoying the moment that is given to them.

.-.

Justin heads home for his parents' thirtieth wedding anniversary. He's twenty seven by now and has lived in Vancouver for the past three months. He smiles as he looks at the budding party that's in full swing. He takes a gulp of his beer as he looks around the room, his eyes landing on familiar people. His mother is laughing with her brother about something and his father is chatting it up with his mother's best friend as they glance over at his mother. He looks to the right to find Harper and Zeke showing off her wedding ring to a couple of people, Justin laughing a bit. He had never thought that these two would last, not a chance in hell. But Zeke has grown up and matured, becoming a paramedic in Boston while Harper runs a fashion magazine. He sighs as he turns his head to Alex, who is now engaged to indie guy Cameron and sitting on the couch, chatting with ex wizard TJ, who has also changed and given up his powers to marry a mortal. Justin glances toward the stairs to find Max disappearing upstairs, no doubt to get some privacy to sleep after just getting back from overseas. Everyone seems happy and with someone except for him.

Justin sighs as he feels all the happiness radiating from the room, the laughter echoing in his ears, as if taunting his lonliness. He sighs as he disappears outside for a smoke, lighting the cigarette before inhaling deeply. He glances up at the night sky, seeing the stars twinkle above him. He wonders if the stars really were a sign of the past. If they were, why wouldn't they show him his past and where he went wrong? How does his life feel so insignificant, even with wizarding powers? He should feel powerful, elated, strong, but all he feels is empty.

He is startled by the opening of the door. He turns to find his sister smiling sadly at him. Justin sighs as he glances at the cigarette in his hand before flicking it away casually. Alex rolls her eyes as she shuts the door behind her.

"Oh, don't stop for my sake," she says sarcastically but her tone is very soft and careful. Justin shrugs as he steps on the cigarette for a moment before leaning against the wall, staring at her.

"What are you doing out here? Shouldn't you be with your fiancé?" he asks as casually as he can. Alex nods as she steps closer to him, eyeballing him carefully.

"I wanted to see if you're ok. We haven't really had a decent conversation in a while," she tells him.

"I'm fine, why wouldn't I be? I'm not the one tied down to a job and stuck in a relationship that doesn't really mean anything," Justin immediately snaps at her but regrets it from the pain filled look on Alex's face. It's brushed off immediately, followed by anger.

"At least I'm successful in my life. What do you have in your life that is worth any shred of happiness, huh? No permanent address, no girlfriend, no fun loving job. Seriously, what happened to you?" Alex snaps back, crossing her arms. Justin opens his mouth to answer but nothing comes out. She's right, he thinks miserably but holds his ground.

"Magic," he says slowly and Alex barks out a laugh in response. Her eyes are filled with frustration and anger now and she steps toward him again and slaps him in the head.

"You know very well that you're not happy with being the family wizard anymore. It's taken the life out of you, Justin. You used to be so passionate, so successful and magic has corrupted you into becoming this shell of who you once were. So don't lie to me and say you're happy with your life, because I know that you're miserable," Alex tells him sternly and there is suddenly this deafening silence in the air as Justin soaks in her words.

He finally blinks as he stuffs his hands in his pockets, not being able to defend himself.

"You're right," he says softly. With that, he slides down the brick wall, bring his knees to his chest. Alex sits beside him as they both stay silent for a while. "How did I end up the family screw up?"

Alex shakes her head as she wraps an arm around his shoulders. "You're not the family screw up, Justin. You're just...the family free spirit. Getting to travel all over the world with no permanent address? Come on, that's the dream I've always wanted to come true," Alex tells him lightly but he knows she is just trying to make him feel better. He sighs as he leans in to Alex, gazing forward before speaking.

"I used to be so ambitious. Now, I'm the kind of guy that I never wanted to be. No steady job, sleeping with random women, being a jerk to my family and only coming home for holidays, not even calling them to tell them how I am. What kind of person am I?"

"One that's consumed by the power of magic and need to be in control," Alex quips. With a confused glance from Justin, Alex explains. "Power is corrupting; I know, I've dealt with one too many close calls with insane amounts of power. Feeling that magic surge in you must be great, for a little while at least. But eventually, like all things, the fire kind of dies out and you try to get that feeling back but it doesn't work. You just want to feel important and in control again."

"So, what the hell do I do about it?" Justin questions. Alex sighs as she turns to him.

"Snap the fuck out of it, settle down somewhere, get a job, get a girlfriend and stop bitching and moaning silently to yourself, alright? Just fix your damn mistakes and move on already. I'd like to see my older brother back in my life instead of gallivanting across the world without more than a pop in visit!" Alex says strongly before standing up and heading back inside without another word. Justin looks after her, confusion and uncertainty in his eyes. He can't deny that he likes his new life; not being held down on commitments is great and not having worries is great as well. But she is right but is there any way to compromise?

I really am a screwup, Justin thinks as he buries his face in his hands. This is the first time where he wishes that he didn't win the wizard competition.

.-.

_Alex Russo_

Justin wins the wizard competition, to her surprise.

She had been so close to winning for a second time but Justin had snatched it up right before her very eyes. She watches as a bright smile appears on his face, the way he floats above all of them, cheering in glee as her parents run toward them, crying in delight. Alex can't help but turn to Max, who looks exhausted (he surprisingly put up a terrific fight) and disappointed, just like her. She closes her eyes for a moment, feeling the disappointment rise in her before she opens them, seeing Justin land safely on the ground. The three stare at each other for a full minute before finally Max steps up and does the right thing in offering his congratulations through a hug. Alex feels obliged to give her congratulations as well, even though she's pissed as hell. She ignores her parents, who immediately coddle to Justin, telling him how proud they are of him. She and Max step back, sharing a look of defeat and remorse and at that moment, Alex decides that Max is now her favourite family member.

She doesn't care much about going to Paris, but she sucks it up and fakes being happy when they get there. She knows Max is doing the same as she catches him rolling his eyes behind Justin's back when he does some spectacular magic show. All the while, Alex fakes a laugh and puts on a show herself but is secretly pouting at the way her parents are basically worshipping Justin at every given moment. She knows the moment will be gone by tomorrow, but it still sucks that her and Max are the odd ones out and the only ones not happy, for good reason.

She's relieved when they finally get home that night and Justin bounces to his room. Alex shuffles toward hers, spotting Max in his room and deciding to go sit with him. He's sitting on his bed, seemingly deep in thought (another rarity for him). She sits beside him as both just stay silent, wallowing in their own pity party for the night.

.-.

The summer is filled with uncertainty and discovering for Alex. She's just finished up her second year of college (she had stayed back an extra year of high school to gather more credits to boost up her average) and although her major of Art History is great, she doesn't know what that's going to get her. She's twenty one, for god's sake! She's allowed to drink yet she doesn't know what path she wants to take for her career? She knows it has to be in art, but what kind of steady career can she get in just an art major? Not much, she discovers as she clicks on yet another link on the computer. This is absolutely hopeless, she decides as she clicks on one more link.

And then she finds the hope that she needs.

.-.

She switches majors immediately, taking extra Business courses before she loses the chance to for September. It's going to be hard work, but she wants to open up her own art studio/museum type place and this is how she's going to get there. Once she saw the occupation description pop up, she immediately knew that that was it. So, this is going to be hard work for her.

When she tells her parents, they seem shocked before they light up with pride that their daughter is finally going to get a proper education and become something amazing. Justin is surprised and reluctant to believe that she's going to make it. Max is proud of her and happy that she's made a great decision. Harper, still her best friend, can't wait for Alex to prove everyone wrong and do something with her life.

"I've always believed in you, Alex. I always knew that you'd be a great artist. Hey, if this path doesn't work out for you, I think you'd be an excellent art teacher," Harper adds, causing Alex to toss popcorn at her head playfully.

.-.

She starts at Wagner College that year with a clean slate as she starts her classes in Business Management, still unsure if switching from Art to Business Management as a major is still the best decision for her, especially since she has no experience in it.

"What am I doing?" she mutters to herself as she walks into her first class to find it already halfway full. She sighs as she walks up the steps, taking a seat in the middle next to some conservatively dressed girl and a hipster indie guy. She barely glances at either of them as she takes out her laptop, opening it up and mentally telling herself that this is not a good idea. She knows she may drop out in a month but she's going to try, goddamnit!

Days turn into weeks and by week four, Alex finds herself strangely enjoying all her business management classes. Of course, there are some classes that she doesn't particularly enjoy but at this rate, she'll be able to minor in Art and Art History or minor in Business Management. She's still confused on the whole major/minor/PhD deal but she'll get the hang of it.

She gets news about Justin dropping out of medical school and she almost wants to visit him to see if he's alright, but she has too much work and a simple phone call is just fine for her. Anyway, she told her parents that she wouldn't be back until Thanksgiving so she can focus on her studies for once and not get distracted by any Russo Drama.

During her first semester at college, she starts making friends. Since Harper has gone to Boston University, she hasn't talked much with her so Alex has had to make new friends. Quite a few of them are arts kids, others from her business classes. But the surprising one that becomes her closest friend is the hipster indie guy, Cameron Hamilton. Alex discovers that he wants to own his own store one day but he hasn't figured out what kind he wants. He's interested in the music and arts and that begins a beautiful friendship with the two. Alex has never thought that she'd be interested in such a normal guy (well, normal compared to previous boyfriends...I mean, Mason and Dean? Really?) but she is and it doesn't take long for the two to start dating.

.-.

Cameron leaves in early July for a couple of weeks to visit his family in Maine so Alex stays behind in New York to hang out with her brothers. Max has just finished his first year of community college in some kind of media course (she still doesn't really get why he chose that but whatever) and Justin is working full time at a hardware store to save money up for his six month 'trip' to Australia (breaking the news two weeks before had been hard but Alex knows this is just the start of a long downfall for Justin). So, that night when Justin is off work and Max is back from wherever he disappears to at night, they all have a nice sibling dinner at a fancy restaurant. Justin looks uncomfortable and Max is scratching at his suit, but Alex knows this is what they need before Justin disappears to Australia for god knows how long.

It's quiet for the first half of the dinner; Alex attempts at some small talk and Max chimes in but Justin barely says a word. It's only when Max disappears to wash his hands that Alex finally speaks to him directly.

"Stop being all mopey Justin, and start being a brother," she snaps at him. Justin frowns as he stops twirling his fork to look at her.

"What do you mean? I'm not the mopey one. I just don't want to be forced into having dinner with you two right now when I could be in Switzerland, having chocolate and a blonde woman at my feet," Justin says, smirking a bit. Alex recoils, disgusted as she glances in the distance before turning back to him.

"Just stop it and pretend that you're having a good time. That's what I did when you won the wizard competition after all," Alex snaps. Justin glares at her before crossing his arms.

"You were faking happy that I won? I knew you were jealous of me winning but I had no idea that you were still angry," Justin says as Alex gapes. She glares at her brother, who is starting to look a little smug.

"I never knew that these powers would make you turn into a fucking jackass. Grow up, Justin. I was upset, naturally, that you won, but seeing as what they're doing to you, I don't think I'd want them anyway," Alex says roughly before closing her mouth, seeing Max make his way back. Justin looks ready to retort but chooses to shut his mouth as Max comes back with some amazing story.

.-.

She finishes her degree in Business Management two years later and moves with Cameron out to Maine, closer to his family. She doesn't mind so much anyway; she needs to get out of New York and she's visited Maine quite a few times before with Cameron and it feels so comfortable and right. She and Cameron decide to work together and they open up their art studio in Portland. It's a rough few months but it's finally starting to become a nice little business for themselves. They have three other workers, two of them fulltime, and even though they aren't making thousands of dollars a month, they're making enough to survive.

It's December when she goes to Harper's wedding in Boston. It's a small ceremony but very beautiful and very quirky, just like Harper and Zeke. It makes even Alex tear up a little bit as she watches Harper lovingly gaze into Zeke's eyes as he says his vows to her, even more heartfelt than she could imagine. From this moment on, Alex has marriage on her mind. She knows that Cameron, weirdly enough, is her soulmate. He's the only human she's dated since the wizard competition and even though they certainly have their problems, especially regarding their small business, Alex can always trust him.

So she heads home three days later and proposes to Cameron herself.

"I know it's not traditional for the woman to ask the man to marry her, but I'm not your typical traditional woman. So marry me," she repeats once he gets his drink of water for the shock. Cameron swallows, blinking at her in surprise before nodding.

"Of course. But you just stole my damn thunder," he says before reaching into the bedside drawer and pulling out a little box. He opens it to find a small ring inside. It's not fancy and it's not diamond (Alex has always hated anything expensive or fancy or diamond related) but it's very sweet and Alex slips it on her finger and grabs Cameron to pull him into a kiss.

.-.

They decide to wait a couple of years to get married. It's not that they don't want to, but they want everything to settle down before making any decisions. Alex also wants to make sure that things definitely work out for her and Cameron in the end.

"You know those statistics about couples divorcing. I just don't want us to become one of those statistics because we rushed into marriage to show that being engaged for more than a year isn't just to prove how committed we are," Alex tells Cameron one day while they're walking in the park. They're already planning everything out; Alex wants a small wedding, Cameron wants it outside, Alex wants tulips at the tables, Cameron prefers a beige colour for their tabletops, that sort of thing. Alex is making sure that they both can compromise because it's not just her wedding, it's their wedding (and Alex has always hated those stupid reality wedding shows where the women plan out the whole wedding and not letting the men have much say). They both agree on an April wedding, though.

She breaks the news to her family two months after they get engaged. Her parents are happy for her, Max is thrilled and Harper is cheering all over the town.

She hasn't talked to Justin in months and she doesn't plan to start now.

.-.

Alex frowns as she holds the phone up to her ears, getting frustrated by the guy on the other line trying to sell her his set of paintings to her shop for twice as much as they are worth. She breathes in deeply, trying to stay focused before cutting into his speech.

"Mr. Goldstein, I understand that. But these paintings can be sold for half of what you're offering me. So I'm not going to waste my money and buy a load of half decent paintings if I don't want to. If you want your paintings sold in my shop, then you're going to have to ask for a lower price because I am not buying them for ten thousand. I might not even buy them all for five thousand at this rate! So why don't you call me back when you have a better offer, alright? Or better yet, just come into my shop and we'll talk," Alex says as calmly as she can before slamming the receiver down, inhaling deeply.

She burrows her face in her hands, feeling a headache already coming on when she hears a knock at her door. Taking a deep breath, she snaps her head up to yell at whoever could be there when a familiar face smiles at her. Grinning, Alex stands up to envelope him in a hug.

"Max, what are you doing here?" she asks carefully. Max just laughs as he glances at her dishevelled appearance.

"Well, I don't go back overseas until next week, so I thought I'd come to see you," he admits, taking a seat at her desk. Alex grins happily as she ruffles Max's very short hair.

"Well, you came at a perfect time. I needed some cheering up and since Cameron is away at a convention in California, it's nice to see a familiar face," Alex tells him as she sits in the opposite chair. Max sighs as he looks around the office, glancing at a picture of Alex and Cameron sitting on her desk. He smiles slightly as he picks it up, studying it carefully.

"You two look happy in this picture," he states softly. Alex smiles at the wonder on Max's face, as if he can't believe that Alex Russo fell in love.

"We still are," Alex notes carefully. Max glances at the picture once more before setting it down on the table. He twiddles his thumbs, seemingly in thought.

"I wish I had someone that I loved and cared for. I'm twenty three years old, almost twenty four. Shouldn't I be in love or at least be dating by now?" Max questions softly. Alex purses her lips in sadness as she shakes her head.

"Max, don't worry about love. You've been so focused on saving the world that you don't have time for it right now. But when the time is right, you'll find your soulmate. I mean, who would have thought that a plain mortal boy in my Business class who's into indie music and is a total hipster would be my soulmate?" Alex says lightly. Max shrugs lightly as he leans back in his chair, gazing at the wall.

"I haven't had a girlfriend since I was eighteen, though. That's five years since I had someone that I cared about. My friends, they all manage a job and dating at the same time. Yet I haven't even gone out on a date. I'm supposed to be Max Russo, extraordinaire and yet I feel...not extraordinary," he admits. Alex sighs as she stand up to wrap Max in a strong hug.

"Listen to me; you are extraordinary. You've done things that nobody in our family would have ever thought of doing. You've matured so much, way more than me or Justin or even Harper, and you have a heart of gold. And that is what counts," Alex tells him. Max nods, smiling a bit as he reaches up to wipe a tear from his eyes.

"Thanks Alex," he says. There is a brief moment of hesitation before Alex finally pulls away, straightening up.

"Ok, hate to be a bother but I have some work to do so why don't you go tour Portland and then meet me at my place in about three hours," she instructs. Max nods, laughing as he stands up, mock saluting toward her.

.-.

She sits on the verandah of the Russo loft, feeling the wind rush past her face. She glances up at the rising sun, deep in thought. It's only two weeks until her wedding day and she's nervous. She thought that coming home for a few days would relieve her of the stress but it isn't helping much. She's twenty seven years old, for crying out loud! She can't wait any longer to marry Cameron. She's known him for six years and they've been engaged for almost three of them. They have the date set and most of the details arranged but now she doesn't know if she's fully ready.

She hears someone coming up behind her but she doesn't move. She just continues looking up at the sun while asking, "what time is it?"

There is a pause before Justin's voice answers, "Just past six. You didn't go to sleep, did you?"

Alex shakes her head as she turns to her older brother, who just sits beside her. She purses her lips in uncertainty as she turns back to the colourful sky.

"As you can tell, I'm a little nervous about getting married," she admits, laughing a bit. He nods lightly as he glances toward her in concern. She chooses to ignore the staring as she focuses on just breathing.

"You know, this is the first time where I can be completely honest with you, with no doubts or regrets. You and Cameron will be fine. You shouldn't worry so much about commitment. After all, you don't want to end up like the old me, right? I used to be so alone because of magic and I didn't want to settle down. But look at me now, six months later and I actually am going back to school in California in September to become a therapist," Justin says lightly. Alex takes the time to look at him, trying to smile a bit but failing. She sighs as she blinks back tears.

"This isn't me, you know. I'm not supposed to be the one nervous about something silly about getting married. I should be worried about if I'm going to get in trouble for something or if my paintings are good enough," Alex states before Justin interrupts.

"Getting married is not silly. It's a commitment and you, Alex Russo, have never been good at committing but I know that you can. Listen to me sis; Cameron loves you and you love Cameron and that is all that matters. So stop worrying and just go for it. This is a risk worth willing to take, trust me," Justin tells her sternly. Alex can't help but smile a bit, reminding her of the conversations they used to have when he was acting like a brother and she was acting like a sister. It's nice, so Alex hugs him tightly.

"Thanks big bro. That's the first smart thing I've heard you say in years," Alex jokes, causing Justin to push her playfully. Alex rolls her eyes but smiles warmly at her brother.

.-.

Her wedding goes off without a hitch. The weather in Maine during April isn't ideal, but at least it doesn't rain. She stands in her simple wedding dress, staring into Cameron's eyes as Harper stands to her right, smiling along with her other three bridesmaids. Justin, Max and her parents sit in the front, her parents' eyes filled with tears of joy. She barely listens to the priest speaking; all she's aware of is the joy and pure happiness in Cameron's eyes, which calms her nerves significantly. They grip each other's hands tightly. Alex can't believe that this is actually happening; in a few short minutes, she'll be Mrs. Alex Hamilton and it's a scary thought to process, especially since she remembers vowing to never fall in love again.

"Do you, Alex Russo, take Cameron Hamilton to be your-"

"Hell yes! Uh, I mean, I do, or else I wouldn't be here," Alex interrupts the priest quickly, watching Cameron chuckle in delight before quickly replying to the priest as he starts to ask as well. The priest looks taken aback for a moment but the look changes to bemusement.

"Ok then. Since you've already said your vows and gave each other rings, I now pronounce you husband and...wife," the priest trails off when Alex practically pounces on Cameron as they kiss passionately. Applause is heard from the small group of fifty as they all stand and watch Alex grab Cameron's hand and pulls him down the aisle.

This is definitely the happiest moment of her life and she really wouldn't change it for anything in the world. This is the first genuine time she's glad she didn't win the wizard competition.

.-.

_Max Russo_

Justin wins the wizard competition, to his surprise.

To be honest, Max expects Alex, of all people, to win. Of course he had been farther behind than Alex and Justin and from his point of view, it looked like Alex would, for sure, take the power once again but somehow, Justin did. He can't help but feel disappointed when he sees his brother hover over all of them. This had been the chance to prove his own worth and now his parents would go back to expecting the worst from him. He's not a wizard, after all, so how is he going to survive in the real world?

Yes, he knows his parents just that well and he's proven correct after his parents coddle all over Justin and ignore both him and Alex. He puts on a happy front, pretending that he's happy for Justin (he kinda is) and that he one hundred percent deserves the win (which he doesn't) but really, he feels just as miserable as Alex. Something inside him changes that day. Before the competition, Max had the hope that he could show everyone that he's a great wizard and good at something but now he's a mere mortal and he has no clue what's going to happen to him. He never thought past the wizard competition, in hopes that he would still win. But now that he's lost, he feels lost himself.

.-.

He's lucky to have gotten into the local community college for Media Foundations months before. It's not the first thing Max would have taken, but he had honestly just applied to anything and everything and it's one of the only ones he gets into. He takes it just for the sheer fun of it and after the wizard competition, he's more determined than ever to graduate and become something of himself.

He lives at home when he goes to his classes and though it's a good experience, something is missing. Or rather, Max feels empty, like it's not the right program for him. He doesn't want to prove his parents right about him, he wants to stick to something but this just doesn't feel right. He sticks it out the whole year, working as hard as he can but he feels miserable the whole year. If Alex can work hard in her Business Management course, then he can work hard in his Media Foundations courses. He makes it through the year, but he knows that he can't take another year of it, so he drops out.

.-.

He spends half of the summer wondering what he's going to do with his life by the time September rolls around.

He hangs out with his friend, Drew, shortly after Justin leaves for Australia. It's two weeks until September and Max still doesn't know what he's going to do. He's already been working full time at the sandwich shop but he doesn't want to work there for the rest of his life. His father might want him to, but Max knows that working at a sandwich shop, or any shop of any kind, isn't for him. He's more of an action, hands on type of guy. He's the one that takes risk and would go all out for anything just for the sheer thrill.

Drew tries to throw out helpful suggestions but none of them appeal to him. Drew's aiming to become a firefighter but Max immediately cringes at that suggestion. He can't stand the heat; he's more of a chill guy. He prefers winter to summer and fire does not equal cold.

"How about a director?" Max shoots the idea down.

"Journalist?" Max shakes his head.

Drew keeps throwing out suggestions and every time, Max shakes his head. None of them seem right. Finally, Drew sighs in exasperation.

"Well, you might as well just join the army at this point!" Max knows he's joking but at that moment, something just clicks within him. He can't even explain it, but that suggestion sparks brightly in Max's mind.

.-.

Ever since that day when Max decides to join the army, all he sees is the army. Literally. He walks down to the subway and he sees someone in an army uniform. He hears 'Wake Me Up When September Ends' on the radio countless times a day. He listens to the radio talking about yet another bombing in Afghanistan. And with every mention of war or fighting, he gets excited. And frankly, it scares him a little bit. He's never been more dedicated to anything in his life and this is the last thing he expects.

So, after a lot of thought and pondering about what his family would think, he signs up a week later.

He doesn't know how to tell his parents that he'll be leaving for training in a week so he holds it off as long as possible until the day before. Needless to say, his parents aren't pleased.

"You're what?" his mother demands when he spills the beans during dinner. His parents are both surprised and his father even looks angry but Max doesn't care.

"I know it's sudden but I thought a lot about it and it's what I want to do. It's what I need to do," he admits. His father slams the fork down on the table and for the first time in his life, Max is a little scared. His father shakes his head in disappointment and disbelief.

"I can't believe you would make such a stupid decision without talking to us first. You made this decision in less than two weeks, Max. A month ago, you were thinking of going back to college," he tells Max sternly but he looks more weary than anything. His mother is already bringing out the tears and Max almost feels guilty and wanting to back out and say 'just kidding', but he doesn't.

"I need to do this, guys. I know you couldn't possibly understand now, but it's truly what I want to do. I need you guys to trust me on this one. I leave tomorrow," he says and within a minute, he has his parents both hugging him. He relaxes under their embrace and closes his eyes. He's going to miss this but he knows he needs to do this.

But now he has to call Alex and Justin and tell them the news and he knows it won't go over well with them.

.-.

Training finishes in Washington in a span of six months and as soon as he blinks, he's overseas. It's been a year since he's signed up for the army and it's not what he expects. He's seen a lot of movies and seen the horror on it, but he doesn't expect it to be this emotionally draining. They never talk about the trauma over the little things, nor do they talk about how exhausting it is or how much pain you're in by just standing on your feet all day. They never tell you the little things and Max is a little disappointed in that. He's only heard about either being blown up or shot and other than that, everything isn't as bad as it seems. Oh boy, are those movies wrong. Especially about the part where people find love during the war. He barely has time to catch an hour of sleep.

Max stands in his uniform, holding the gun in his hand as he hangs back with a few other soldiers while their leader and Colonel Sam Marks leads the way toward an abandoned building. He walks beside his friend Tyler as they look around for any signs of movement. This is one of the hardest parts, personally; to sneak in behind your enemy without them noticing. It almost always goes wrong.

So, Max allows himself to think about his family back home and what they would say if he doesn't return. His mother would probably bring him back from the dead and kill him again. His father would be terribly disappointed that he raised such a screw up son. Alex would be angry that she never got to talk him out of it. And Justin? Well, who knows what Justin would think. He barely knows his brother anymore.

The next hour passes by in a blur for Max after the first gun is fired. He remembers sending off his own rounds while ducking into cover and trying to shoot at the enemies. His adrenaline is pumping and every movement he makes feels natural to him.

He expects to lose men. They only lose two, which is an accomplishment but still devastating. Max has to watch as they carry Private Jesse Macadam and Private Henry Dubois away, his heart breaking just a little bit. He's experienced loss in the past few months, but it still pains him every time.

Max wipes the sweat from his forehead as he makes his way toward the truck. He's ready to just sit and try to relax, even for a few minutes.

.-.

He experiences his first close loss on his twenty first birthday. He's only a month from finishing his service and he's very ecstatic to be able to go home for the first time in almost two years to see his family. They're on a mission to stop a group of terrorists from bombing a small village. They have been tracking this group for six months and now is the time to stop them. It's a very dangerous mission; Max knows that many of them won't make it out alive, if any of them. They know there are several bombs being placed and it's up to them to stop it from happening.

The plan starts out alright; they go in, guns blazing as they secure the area and finding all fifteen of the bombers before moving in. In order to not risk civilian lives, they have to move quickly and silently. It almost goes off with a hitch until the first bomb accidentally goes off. It turns into chaos from there.

Max moves quickly, protecting himself as bullets fly past him. He shoots at one of the terrorists, managing a small smile as it hits him squarely in the chest. He ducks behind a flipped over car as he reloads his gun, listening to the shouting and firing around him. He takes a deep breath before standing up and moving across the field.

And then he finds himself flying straight back. He lands on his back, rolling a few feet until he comes to a stop. He winces heavily as he forces his eyes open, seeing the smoke coming from the building where he saw Private Tyler Cochran enter not moments ago. His best friend is possibly dead and all he feels is nothing as he gets back up on his feet, spotting another terrorist.

The end result is terrifying. Out of the twenty men that enter the village to stop the group, only eleven make it out alive, most of them harmed severely. Max is one of the lucky ones to just suffer minor injuries. He stares out dully as they drive back to their station, his mind filled with devastation and terror. His friends have all been killed, Tyler included. He feels a hand on his shoulder and he glances over to his only surviving close friend left, Kyle Gilbert, who looks remorseful.

"We did the best we could," Kyle says, his voice monotone. Max shrugs as the two sit beside each other, waiting to arrive back to base.

.-.

He only visits his family for two weeks before heading right back to Afghanistan. As much as he loves his family, he feels like being in Afghanistan is more important. They're disappointed that he chooses to go back so quickly but it's not their decision.

Eight months later and he sits in the tent, waiting for his family to appear on the computer. He hasn't communicated with them over video for over a month and he can't help but feel excited.

He looks at the computer, which seems to spring to life as a picture starts forming. It's all static and blurry at first until it finally focuses on Alex's smiling face. He watches as she waves at the camera.

"Hi Max!" she calls cheerfully. Max shoots a small grin as he watches his parents appear in view. Their faces are half off the screen and the sound keeps going in and out, but it's better than nothing.

"Hey guys, how's New York?" he asks as cheerfully as he can, forcing the exhaustion out of his voice for the time being. Alex grins as she begins telling Max about her and Cameron's plans to move to Maine after graduation and also lets him know of Harper's engagement to Zeke. His parents both talk endlessly about their business and how they feel like it's going to be a huge success soon, even though they have been saying this ever since Max was a child. He listens, smiling at their bubbling faces and laughing alongside with them. Once he realizes that he only has a minute left, he interrupts them quickly.

"We miss you so much Max. Be safe," his mother says, looking like she's ready to cry. Max nods, holding back his own tears as his father also says goodbye. Then Alex speaks and her voice is small.

"Come home to us, alright Max? I don't know what I'd do if you didn't come home." She sounds the most sincere he's ever heard her and he nods.

"I'll see you guys soon, I promise. I love you," he says before he watches the picture start to cut out yet again. After one more wave, he disables the connection and takes a moment to collect himself. He really does miss them, but he's not ready to go back to America, back to a mediocre life. It's a life that doesn't hold meaning for him right now. He feels much more alive when he's helping people and this is the best life for him.

.-.

Max decides to retire from the army when he turns twenty seven. He's been in the army for almost nine years and he's ready to settle down back in New York and start creating a family. It is a difficult choice but he finally decides to retire before anything really bad happens. He's already been sent home early twice because of leg injuries and he doesn't want to make it a third. Besides, he feels like he's actually accomplished all that he's needed to and he's fulfilled his duty as a soldier. He's on the flight back home, ready to surprise his family. He hasn't told them that he's coming home, nor has he broken the news that he's home for good so he's really excited for their reactions.

He quickly gets off the plane, grinning as he hoists the bag over his shoulder as he strolls proudly through the airport. With every minute that passes, he feels more excited to see his family. He knows they will be ecstatic to see him and even more ecstatic to know of his choice to remain in New York.

All on the way home, he thinks about his future and what he's going to do now that he's not in the army. Maybe he'll settle down in a very mediocre job. Maybe he'll go back to school and see what he can do with a degree. That sounds like the best idea and even though he'll be older than most of the college students, going back to school seems like the best choice. He's been offered a position at the military training facility in Washington but he's not really sure if he wants to train new recruits or get stuck doing paper work for the rest of his life. He's more of an action guy and though he'd probably love training others, he wants to try something different. He wants to go back to school and get his degree for something.

So, when he arrives at the Russo family loft, he gets out with a solid plan for his future. He carries his bags up the steps to the apartment. He pauses when he gets to the door, though. He feels the warmth of the apartment already waffling through him and he knows that this is the right place to be. Taking one more deep breath, he knocks on the door before opening it.

At first, all he hears is silence. The living room and kitchen are totally empty and the lights are all off. He glances at his watch. It's almost eight. Shouldn't his parents be home? Unless they went out to dinner, which is entirely possible. So Max sets his bags down by the stairs and rummages through the fridge. He hasn't eaten since this morning so he's kind of hungry. After making himself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, he takes a seat at the table before pausing. He thinks he hears something downstairs so he sets down his sandwich and carefully steps down the stairs, noticing a light on downstairs. So they must be closing up or something. Maybe they opened their hours later. Max makes his way down the stairs before halting dead in his tracks. His parents look toward him and grin happily as they gesture toward the others in the room.

"Welcome home Max!" they shout loudly as Max just gapes at all the decorations hanging in the sub shop. He spots Cameron and Alex standing by Justin and his fiancée, Heather with Harper and Zeke right beside them. Max sees his other friends and other family members scattered throughout the shop and he can't help but laugh as he makes it down the stairs. His mom is the first to embrace him. He closes his eyes as he smells the faint vanilla perfume on her and she finally releases him to look him in the eye.

"How did you know I was coming back today? I didn't tell anyone," he asks curiously. His mom sighs as she glances over to Kyle, who had come home a month before.

"Kyle spilled the beans. He called earlier this week and found out," she admits. Max rolls his eyes as he goes to Kyle and punches him lightly on the arm.

"What part of surprise don't you understand? I guess you told them that I'm home for good as well, right?" When Kyle shakes his head, Max grimaces before feeling his siblings pound on him next.

"You're home for good? Oh my god Max, that's great!" Alex shrieks happily. Justin wraps his arm quickly, grinning as well. The love in the room is so great that Max can't help but also grin like a total idiot as Alex pulls him over to the cake on the counter that was bought for him. He's really glad to be home.

.-.

"Happy 30th birthday!" Alex says cheerfully to Max as she props her feet on top of Cameron's legs as she sprawls out on Max's couch. He rolls his eyes as he sets down his jacket and sets his gun on the counter. Because he's a war veteran, he passes the law enforcement exams with flying colours. Even though he's only been officially working for the police force in Toronto for about a week now, he loves it. This is the action that he's been wanting for the past couple of years.

"Well, thanks Alex. Now why don't you get off the couch and help Justin and Heather with dinner?" Max asks sarcastically as he sits on one of the chairs next to Olivia. His girlfriend pecks him on the cheek before going back to typing something on the computer.

"Because I'm six months pregnant and I'd rather not waste my energy on destroying dinner?" Alex supplies helpfully as Cameron rubs her feet.

"But Lex, you never cook dinner," Cameron reminds her as Alex pokes him with her foot. Justin pokes his head out from the kitchen.

"Hey Max! Dinner should be ready in about half an hour," Justin says. Max nods lazily as he glances over at Olivia's computer. She seems to feel his eyes on her and she glances at him.

"So, how was your day?" she asks. Max shrugs lightly.

"It was alright. Kind of busy, actually. Peter's kind of a hard ass on me because he had to take three years of college in order to become an officer, but I think he appreciates that I work hard," Max says, referring to his training officer. He hears Justin and Heather laughing in the kitchen. "How was your day?"

"It was busy. I had to spend the afternoon entertaining your two siblings and their spouses. I haven't even gotten my case file finished," Olivia admits. She sounds grumpy but he knows that she likes his family. She may not love them but she'll get there. They've only been dating for four months and Max isn't even sure if she is 'The One'. He hopes so, though. He's thirty years old; he's ready to settle down.

"Well, you survived and that's an accomplishment," Max jokes, causing a very angered 'hey' coming from both Alex and Justin. He just grins as he sits up as Justin calls them for dinner.

With a wave of a hand, Justin has the table all set and ready. Alex rolls her eyes and Max just squeezes Olivia's hand as they take a seat at the table. Being with his family (well, at least some of them) is the best thing in the world. Being involved in a war with no family had been difficult so Max has learned to take every moment and make it count. And for the first time, he's thrilled with how the wizard competition turned out.

Because despite the ups and downs that they've all had over the years, they would not be where they are today if Justin hadn't have won. And Max wouldn't change this moment for anything in the world. Not even for magic.

**Ok, over a year later and I finally finish. I started this back before season four started, so obviously there's a lot that is not the same. But I'm extremely happy with what I wrote. I tried to write it realistically, although I guess happy endings don't always happen in real life. But I hope you did enjoy reading everyone's POV after the wizard competition. And let me know whose POV you liked the best. **

**Thanks for reading, you guys! I know some people don't like OC's in their stories, but I felt like it was necessary to have an OC, especially for Alex's POV. **


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